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Non-neutral Jonker Lions issue spills over into Rugby Championship
It’s a good job that Lions boss Warren Gatland has nothing to do with the 2021 Rugby Championship or he would be asking hard questions of the decision by World Rugby to have South African touch judges on duty for the Springboks’ upcoming two matches versus Argentina.
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The Lions were left fuming that there was no plan B by World Rugby to ensure a neutral official was on standby if any of the team of officials appointed for the Lions Test series became suddenly unavailable for whatever reason.
While Australia’s Nic Berry, New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe and France’s Mathieu Raynal, the three-strong group appointed as the series referees and touch judges, arrived in South Africa without a hitch and have remained healthy since then, New Zealander Brendon Pickerill was unable to travel for the Lions series after his appointment as the television match official.
However, rather than have another official from overseas on standby to fly in, World Rugby instead opted to appoint local South African official Marius Jonker as TMO, a controversial decision that has contributed to the fractious Test series that has unfolded and resulted in a bruising few controversial weeks for the sport.
World Rugby insisted that the teams knew it was always likely that the contingency would be non-neutral, and that was communicated for all Test games across a challenging June/July window. It was also believed the Lions were informed of Pickerill’s non-availability shortly after World Rugby were informed, not a week later as alleged by Gatland last Tuesday.
Further light shed on the saga of South African Marius Jonker being the emergency TMO for the Springboks series versus the Lions#CastleLionsSeries #LionsTour2021 #LionsRugby
https://t.co/9fqReIGE3p— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 3, 2021
Whatever the ins and outs surrounding the appointment of Jonker, the controversy hasn’t dissuaded World Rugby from the use of non-neutral officials as they have appointed South African AJ Jacobs as touch judge for the August 14 Springboks versus Argentina match in Port Elizabeth that will be refereed by Ireland’s Andrew Brace.
They will then double down on this the following week at the same venue when two South Africans, Jacobs and Marius van der Westhuizen, will both be touch judges for the round two Springboks versus Pumas rematch refereed by England’s Karl Dickson.
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The non-neutral pattern is repeated in the Bledisloe Cup/Rugby Championship meetings between the All Blacks and the Wallabies. This Saturday’s game in Auckland sees Paul Williams referee and lead an all-New Zealand team of officials as he will be assisted by Mike Fraser and Pickerill with Glenn Newman on TMO duties. The following weekend’s Rugby Championship rematch will again see the all NZ team in action but with Pickerill as the referee, Williams and Fraser as assistant referees and Newman as TMO.
A statement read: “The cross-border competition organisers and World Rugby continue to adapt and action contingencies due to the evolving and challenging global pandemic. Travel for the teams and match officials, along with quarantine requirements, has resulted in a combination of neutral and non-neutral appointments for the fixtures.”
For the first taste of the new rules in action on the international stage, you'd best tune in to this weekend's Bledisloe Cup clash ? #AllBlacks #Wallabies #NZLvAUShttps://t.co/AIHoLhdzpI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments